How to saw ERC with heart rot

[Larry]

I’m getting a large quantity of ERC to saw on shares.  I get em tree length and about 20% have some heart rot ranging from minor to major.  Curious to see if anybody has suggestions to saw around the rot.

The first picture I’m thinking it’s not even worth loading on the mill and should make a trip straight to the burn pile.  The second picture I should be able to taper saw on the right face and get a few good boards.  Maybe turn once and get couple more good boards. 
 


 

[Chuck White]

Larry;
I sawed a hollow log once!  Didn't turn out to bad!
Just put it on the mill and saw and rotate, saw and rotate!
When you get into the rot, some of the wood will still be good even though you have rot on one end!  Short boards.

[DRB]

Saw it all, the rot is normally in pockets that are small.  Saw it as you would for any grade log turn it when the face goes bad.  Make sure your share is not all rotten.

[Coalsmoke]

Ok, caveats first, I'm on the west coast, but if that was western cedar, this would be what I would do. On that first log, cut 2' off it and see what it looks like, if it looks the same, cut another chunk off, and if no improvement don't bother sawing it. With the second log I keep a 6' long piece of metal rod, about 3/16" thick, and use that to probe center rot to see how prolific it is. Watch out for those splits too, if they are surface then you're fine, but if they travel through the log you'll just be sawing firewood. The thing with center rot in cedar is it can sometimes be better to trim the log down in length and saw it as a normal log than to spend a hour dodging around various pockets of bad wood.

Do you guys get powder post beetle over there in some of your cedar?

[Fla._Deadheader]

Oh Pshaww
 We sawed a bunch of ratty ERC, and sold it as table slabs. Customers have imagination, even if you have to "HEP" 'em a little, to see the beauty. 

 

[Larry]

Do you guys get powder post beetle over there in some of your cedar?

You mean this stuff?
 



They love the bark and sapwood to a lessor degree in ERC.  They won't touch the heartwood.  I edge heavy and won't store it within a 100 yards of hardwood.

Harold, you need to "HEP" me a lot.

[ellmoe]

   We call it "punky" cedar. Saw it for paneling, like "pecky" cypress and charge a premium!

Mark

[Fla._Deadheader]

 Larry
 Just remember, "UGLY" sells. 

  I was always amazed what prices ED got for some of the ratty stuff we sawed. 

[backwoods sawyer]

   We call it "punky" cedar. Saw it for paneling, like "pecky" cypress and charge a premium!

Mark

I am with ellmoe, Pecky cedar is sought after here on the west coast for both fencing and paneling.

[zopi]

don't waste your time..put it on a truck and send it up here...i'll take care of it for you..

[Woodwalker]

 Larry
 Just remember, "UGLY" sells. 
I'm with Fla. Deadheader, sawed a mantel for a guy from a log that looked a lot worse than the one pictured, 4" X 16" X 9', voids, punk and all was worth $800.00 to him. He even hauled off some slabs for me.

[Tom]

Saw it all.  If sawed into table tops, the doty parts can be filled with resin.

Most cedar projects are made of small boards.  Even a lot of closet paneling is made from pieces that are 6" to 2' long.   The inclusions on the outside will produce boards.  sawed off as a 2-5" slab, they can be resawed on a tablesaw to produce live edge  trim.

A true cedar woodworker will use so much of your "bad" wood that there won't be enough left for a stove fire.

Don't get hung up on what you think is a "good board".   You don't have to satisfy a grader, just a customer.

[Magicman]

Just remember, "UGLY" sells.

Just how "ugly" do you want.....

 

[Tom]

That's the kind of stuff that will make Trim.  Moulding for walls and ceilings, furniture, turning wood and, if your are careful, a board or two. 

I've sawed a lot of it, Magicman

[kderby]

Eww Magicman dat is Dang Ugly.

Now seriously.  Western juniper (Juniperous occidentalis) has the same red cuboid decay (rot) issue as Eastern Redcedar (Juniperous virginiana).  It is usually in the larger trees and usually in the butt.  My purchase criteria for saw logs tolerates "little or none."  Most of what I buy has a ten inch top.  That mills into pretty clean lumber.  Cutting  a firewood round (16") off the butt often clears it up.

What is your market?  There is a fine line between character and carp.   I mill character logs just for the love of saw dust.  I don't make a lot of money out of my "character" pile.  If you are anywhere near the realm of volume production you will need consistancy.  "Internal decay might result in variable grades of lumber" would be a generous comment.   

I'll be interested to see what Cedarman has to say.

[Coalsmoke]

Wow magic man, that stuff is rough! Did you saw that? I guess I get spoiled out here in the pacific north west, lots of good cedar, no need to try and dodge rot.

Larry, our powder post beetle here will eat its way right through the heartwood too. It can turn the inside of a log into swiss cheese. Falling a tree that has been riddled with them can turn harry in a hurry too. We must have a different type of beetle. If they stayed out of the heartwood it wouldn't be so bad.

[Cedarman]

Our markets have been to sell those doughty logs to a shaving mill.  They use about 20 or more big truck loads per week, so there is usually a market there.  Lately, we have sawn a lot of 2x8x8 and 2x8x4' for a big flower box market that makets them 4x8x2' high. Those boxes can have ingrown bark and some doughty splotches.  The rest we air dry and grind into sawdust for a specialty market.  Most of our markets do not want any rot in the wood so we have to grade accordingly.

With the billions of feet of cedar growing and growing 10 times faster than it is being cut, I see little need for sawing low grade logs.

But if you can get a premium for pecky cedar, then by all means milk that niche market for all you can.  I am a firm believer in using what you've got.

Magicman, you could saw those up and sell them as "air boards".  Just don't edge too much.

[bandmiller2]

Larry you won't know til you saw it,eastern red is like a wrapped package.that type of rot is all too common their will be some usable.Frank C.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Gonna let out a design project.

  Take them logs on Magicmans trailer, cut off whatever will stand up in the sawmill, and cross cut 'em, to make picture frames, and mirror frames. Make shadow boxes, and windows for kids houses, or garden sheds, Put in Acrylic glass, not glass glass.

  All ya need is imagination, and make whatever others don't.

  Ever hear the saying, to carve a duck, take off all the wood that doesn't LOOK like a Duck

[JRC]

Magicman, I wish I had those logs here I've had to hollow out some ERC for customers. They make awesome bathroom sink base for someone in a log or rustic home. Cut them 30" long, cut out the back for the plumbing, put a top on it with natural edges and if they want I'll even cut out for the bowl all for only $500. You can have the "good" logs.